Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.
• Read the article: Revised plans for next stage of development revealed
By my eye, two-thirds of the Parklakes Central area was affected in the February 2022 floods. Since then, even 50ml-plus of rain can flood, able to be seen by the naked eye at ground level.
Yes, they say, it will be engineered out, but where will they direct it?
Barry McCaul, Bli Bli
• Read the article: Developer returns with new master plan for site
How did I know this Twin Waters West application would happen again? I know people who live on property that backs onto the soon-to-be-development area. I love visiting this particular area and know it well. l love seeing the kangaroos bounding about.
Developers will say anything (and do anything) to get their way. To them it’s only ruled by the money. They have much too much sway with the local council. This is their third attempt for approval – they never give up. They have no concern about people who live in the area. To them it’s just another money project.
So let’s make the blocks bigger and add a walkway to pretty up the area, so the price of blocks will be astronomical. Yes, less density sure, but a lot more money. For them win-win.
It’ll be a horrible traffic mess for the locals and people visiting this area as it is very easy now and safe to join the highway or get to the airport. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know the effects this will have.
What about floods? Stockland say they will drain away any surplus water with their mitigation plan – I won’t hold my breath. We all know floods are getting much, much worse and I believe that’s mumbo jumbo. So are they going to fix damage to the flood-affected housing?
Even if plan three is rejected there will be a plan four at some stage, followed by plan five ad infinitum.
David Callaghan, Nambour
• Read the article: GPs reject ‘safe and effective’ pharmacy trial
As a retired retail pharmacist of 30 years, I read with interest in Tuesday’s SCN that local GPs are against continuing a trial of pharmacists diagnosing and treating simple urinary tract infections, despite the trial showing it was safe and effective.
Urinary tract infections require swift treatment and the article states that the average wait time for an appointment to see a GP is two days. My personal GP has a pre-booking gap of five business days and, like most practices, is closed on weekends. Pharmacies are open seven days a week and usually for longer hours than a GP practice. Prompt treatment is then obviously much more easily obtained through a suitably qualified pharmacy.
Pharmacists are about to lose 50 per cent of their dispensing fee income on drugs covered by the proposed doubling of quantity allowed under the PBS for commonly prescribed routine treatments for blood pressure, diabetes and so on. GPs also stand to lose 50 per cent of patient visit fees for these same patients, but virtually all practices are overwhelmed with patient bookings, so this will free up appointment time for urgent consultations.
My idea is that pharmacists could regain a little of this income by being able to issue repeat prescriptions when the patient inadvertently runs out of their regular medication and delays for consultations means delays or omission of medications.
Eric Bottle, Alexandra Headland
Read the article: Ashley: why the Coast needs more theme parks
Ashley, I 100 per cent agree with you. The Coast is way too reliant on the beach as a pastime for locals and for tourists, so it is no coincidence we have some of the highest rates of skin cancer in the country and world. The Coast is nowhere near as family-friendly as the Gold Coast.
On your thoughts on that old chestnut that is frequently bandied about: “We don’t want to be another Gold Coast.” Okay, so we don’t want a hospital that can provide more services locally, we don’t want better infrastructure, we don’t want better public transport, we don’t want better live music options, we don’t want the HOTA, we don’t want way better shopping, we don’t want more diverse dining options, we don’t want to be more culturally diverse, we don’t want a local airport with more domestic and international travel destinations and we don’t want a great international tourist market.
The Coast needs to up its game and start offering more than the beaches to truly be a family-friendly destination for tourists and a family-friendly lifestyle for locals.
Danielle, Buderim
• Read the article: Service delayed: question marks remain over direct rail line
Does any one else feel the 30-year plus Sunshine Coast Rail saga is a prime fodder for an episode of Utopia?
The Coast has been subject to an agonising, predictable cycle of fanfare announcement, pledge and promises, followed by a long period of inactivity, then by delay, excuses, more excuses, and further inaction. A state or federal election will then loom and the whole sorry scenario will be put on replay, over and over, with the same end result.
Meanwhile, the population has swollen by nearly two-and-a-half times since 1990, with the same rail, and a ridiculously congested road network. Throw in a looming Olympic Games into the mix and we have a recipe for a cringeworthy episode where our transport system forms the butt of many an international commentator’s joke.
Perhaps the Brisbane pollies should try living on the Coast for a year so they can fully grasp the issue.
Therese, Sunshine Coast
My husband and I moved from Victoria to Caloundra in 1967. We were young starting a family and as he is in the electrical trade we could see a great future for the Coast.
The development that is now happening all up and down the Coast is amazing. Caloundra is no longer left behind in development.
We look at all this and just wonder how the infrastructure is going to cope. The M1 struggles – an accident and the congestion is horrendous. It’s not just the Bruce Highway, as everyone tries to go “the back way”. It doesn’t take long and all these off-shoots are at a standstill as well. Locals cannot get to and from schools, doctor appointments, shopping and so on.
Something needs to be done to ease the situation. Yes, the M1 is being upgraded slowly, but again it’s too late. All these developments have to come onto the M1 somewhere.
This rail has been talked about for years and nothing done, except for land resumptions and so on giving us hope.
Take a look at Victoria. Its public transport system has been the best for many a year. It has reduced travelling prices to the degree it’s not worth thinking about taking your car out. It is still a nightmare to travel on the roads but better than us by miles.
We need to do something to get the people off the roads. What better way to do it than rail? The longer it’s left, obviously the dearer it all becomes.
We need this rail, and pronto. The future of the Coast needs it. Look at Mayor Tom Tate, a strong leader working for the future of the Gold Coast. The freeway is a delight; trains and trams have relieved their situation immensely.
Come on government, give the Coast what it deserves. There is always “talk” of a Bruce duplication, of course that’s needed.
Sue Barker, Caboolture
It’s not that the locals do not want a rail service. It is the price of the ticket for a public-funded service, paid for by the taxpayer but charged out by the government at an over-the-top price, for a service that is run by public servants who are already paid by the taxpayer.
Double dipping, I say.
Simon Lattimer
I am so disappointed to see that current federal and state governments are balancing their budgets by taking transport, health and safety services away from regional areas in favour of the capital cities. The blatant disrespect is dished out repeatedly, broken promises littering their terms.
Hang on for a very rocky ride until they start looking for votes in the next elections – but remember how short the honeymoon is. Time for a change.
Margaret Kennedy, Golden Beach
The Sunshine Coast needs leadership that has a more people-orientated vision, as opposed to pure property speculation. We need to start attracting quality urban renewal projects and involve locals in the planning process.
At the moment the region is being left off the map and other regions in the state are getting the lion’s share of infrastructure funding. At present we are a series of villages and ever-expanding housing development, which need to be far more integrated.
How there is not a decent rail or even bus link to Brisbane is beyond reason.
Edwin Lomax
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.
